Self-wringing surface treating implement



May 31, 1966 E. A. POWERS SELF-WRINGING SURFACE TREATING IMPLEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 9, 1965 INVENTOR May 31, 1966 E. A. POWERS SELF-WRINGING SURFACE TREATING IMPLEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 9, 1965 /,20B .2 G 20 H k q 6 B 4 u A, M 0 m w 6 m 2 6 E 81 1 1%, mkum 1 7 2 1 INVENTOR EDGAR A. POWERS United States Patent 3,253,290 SELF-WRINGING SURFACE TREATING IMPLEMENT Edgar A. Powers, 104 Church St, Lake Ronkonkorna, NSY. Substituted for abandoned application Ser. No. 363,742, Apr. 30, 1964. This application June 9, 1965, Ser. No.

2 Claims. (Cl. -119) The present invention generally appertains to improvements in surface treating implements and is particularly directed to a new and novel mop having a self-wringing feature, which feature is of importance, also in the use of the mop for cleaning scrubbing surfaces and for absorbing liquids in relation to such surface treatment.

Compressible or self-wringing mops, or the like, which employ a surface contacting roller of foam impreg'nata'ble material, such as sponge, and have a supporting frame for the roller and manually operable means on the frame for compressing the roller to wring it out are well known. However, such known mops suffer from the utilitarian deficiencies that they are bulky and require manual dexterity in use and, most important, that they do not permit the roller to be free to rotate for one purpose or to be held against rotation for another purpose involved in the treating of surfaces, such as a floor. In addition, structurally speaking, such known mops involve a multiplicity of mechanical parts which means that the cost of construction and/ or repair is very high.

A primary object of the present invention is to obviate these defects in the prior art by providing a very simple, easily useable and manipulatable self-wringing mop or the like which is of compact and simple construction.

A further important object of the present invention is to provide a roller type mop which includes a freely rotatable roller having an 'impregnatable foam peripheral surface, the roller being mounted on a handle supported frame, and means being provided for compressing the peripheral surface to wring out fluids therefrom in a complete and novel manner, and also to serve .to arrest the rotary movement of the roller.

Thus, the present invention provides a sponge-like roller which is carried for rotation by a handle supported frame and which provides means in association with the roller to achieve a triple action; one, to arrest rotary movement of the roller so that one section of the roller remains in contact with the surface; two, to provide selective rotation of the roller whereby various sections of the peripheral surface of the roller can be placed in contact with a surface, utilizing clean sections of the roller surface in the gradual rotation of the roller; and,

three, to squeeze liquids from the roller in a final oleans-' ing action of the roller after all of the peripheral surface thereof has been used.

A further important object of the present invention is to provide a surface treating implement, such as a mop, which includes a roller and has a manually operable means for contacting the [roller to arrest the free rotation thereof for two purposes, one, to completely squeeze out liquid therefrom, and, two, to use all of the exterior surface of the roller for cleaning purposes; such manually operable means being easily and simply actuated by a user and involving a simple hand or foot operation by the user while holding a handle that carries a supporting means 'for the roller.

The foregoing and ancillary objects and other features of merit are attained by this invention, the preferred embodiment of which is set forth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein,

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FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the roller compression means per se;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the assembled implement;

FIGURE 6 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken along line 6-6 of FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the surface treating implement A, which can be employed for many tasks in treating surfaces, is particularly, though not restrictively, intended for the cleaning of floor surfaces -and in the latter respect is designed for the cleaning and scrubbing of such surfaces and, related thereto, for the absorption of liquids from the floor surface.

The implement A includes a cylindrical roller I having a substantial outer'peripherail covering or portion 1a of impregnatable foam material, such as sponge, which constitutes the working surface of the roller. The roller has end plates 2 which are formed with openings 17, as shown in FIG. 3, such plates resembling spokelike members.

The central solid portion of the end plates 2 are formed with axially projecting trunn-ions 3 which are adapted to rotatably fit in openings 3a in the opposing, parallel arms 6:: and 6b of a U-shaped supporting frame 6, thereby mounting the roller for free rotary movement in and between the arms 6a and 6b. The frame 6, also includes a web section 6c.

A tubular handle 9, which may be of any desired length, is suitably connected at its lower or inner end to the web section 60, the latter having an opening of a diameter substantially equal to the interior diameter of the handle and which opening is in alignment with the bore of the handle. The handle 9 supports the frame and provides the means whereby the roller, rotatably carried and supported by the frame, may be manually manipulated over a surface.

As thus described, it is obvious that the roller can be rotated over a surface by manual manipulation of the handle.

To achieve the three fold purpose of the present invention, a concavo-convex plate 8 is provided and is located between the roller and the web section 60 of the frame 6. The plate 8 is of .a radius substantially corresponding to the radius of the cylindrical roller 1, irrespective of the eventual deformation of the peripheral portion 1a of the roller. The plate 8 is mounted for sliding movement on and between the arms 6a and 6b in a position between the roller and the web section 60. For this purpose, the arms are formed with axial slots 4 and the plate is provided, at its opposing ends, with outwardly projecting pins 5 that slide in such slots.

A manually actuable means is provided and is carried by the handle 9 to effect movementof the plate 8 into contact with the peripheral portion la of the roller. Such means includes a rod-like element 7 which is slidably disposed in the tubular handle and is connected by suitable means, such as soldering, screw means or the like, at its lower or inner end to the plate 8. For manual operations, the rod-like element 7 terminates at its upper or outer end (beyond the outer end of the handle) in a knob 10 which may be gripped by the hand of a user. In supplemental addition, the rod 7 is formed adjacent the web section 6c of the frame 6 with laterally, oppositely projecting pins 12 which are free to slide in axial slots 13 3 formed through the tubular handle 9. This provides a foot operable means for moving the rod-like element 7 and, consequently, the plate 8 toward the roller.

The plate 8 is formed with a series of apertures or openings 16 which permit liquid to flow through the plate 8 when it is moved in a compressive action into engagement with the foam body In of the roller.

The plate 8 normally is retained out of engagement 4 or contact with the roller by a retraction means, which includes an upstanding projection or pin 20A on the portion of the rod 7 inwardly of the web section 6c of the frame 6 and a cooperating projection or pin 2013 on the web section 60, the projections being connected by an elastic band 20 or similar spring means.

The plate 8 is formed at its opposing sides with similarly outwardly divergent terminating portions 21, such defining lip portions. The purpose of such divergent lip portions 21 is to ensure that the entire area of the peripheral portion 1a of the roller, facing the plate 8, is encom passed by the plate. Such divergence of the plate will compensate for the difference in the circumference of the peripheral portion 1a of the roller after considerable usage, involving a number of compressments of the portion 1a. It is desirable, in this respect, that the entire area of the peripheral portion 1a, facing the concavity of the compressor plate 8, be enclosed followed by a more forceful squeezing engagement within the concave pocket of the plate 8 which is slightly smaller in internal diameter than the outside diameter of the peripheral portion 1a of the roller.

Another important feature of the present invention, apart from the squeezing operation and attendant structural details of the plate 8, its mounting and operating means, resides in the provision of means associated with the plate 8 to arrest the free rotary movement of the roller. In this respect, the plate 8 is formed, either in its body or in the divergent lips 21, as shown, with blunt teeth 14 which project forwardly from the outer face of the plate, adjacent its opposite ends, and are adapted to dig into the peripheral sponge portion 1a of the roller (see FIG. 6). Such teeth 14, which are merely exemplary of a raspness means that may be utilized, prevent the roller from rotating in the frame as long as the plate is in contact with the peripheral surface of the roller.

In the usuage of the implement A, relating the same only for exemplary purposes to the cleaning of a floor surface, the implement or device is held by the handle 9 and the roller is dipped into a supply source of any suitable cleaning liquid. Obviously, the peripheral portion 1a of the roller will absorb such liquid. The roller is then applied to the fioor surface and with the contact with such surface the liquid will be released and the roller will roll over the surface. Now, if a scrubbing action is desired, it is only necessary, using either the hand control 10 or the foot control 12, to move the compression plate 8 into braking engagement with the peripheral surface of the roller. This will prevent rotation of the roller and will hold the segmental section of the peripheral portion of the roller in direct contact with the surface. When such section becomes too dirty to become further effective, a slight release of the foot or, more frequently, the hand pressure, will permit the retraction means to move the plate out of engagement with the peripheral portion 1a of the roller. This 'will allow rotation of the roller to present a new, clean section to contact the surface. This procedure is repeated until the entire circumference of the portion 111 has accumulated so much dirt that a rinsing action of the entire roller is necessary. The implement then is held over a rinsing container and full pressure is exerted on the rod 7 by either using the hand knob 10 or the foot pins 12. The liquid will be forced from the portion 1a and will flow through the apertures 16 or the Openings in the end plates 2.

Upon release of the manually supplied hand or foot power, the retraction means (2020A20B) will be operative to move the plate back away from the roller. When this automatic disengagement or detachment of the roller and the plate occurs, two factors come into play causing a slight rotation of the roller and permitting a re- 5 peated compression of the peripheral portion 1a of the roller to realize a complete squeezing of the whole roller. First of all, after the initial compression of one circumferential section of the portion In, such section will be lighter and, upon retraction of the plate 8, the roller will tend to revolve, presenting the next adjoining fiuid saturated section into facing relation with the compression plate. Secondly, the frictional means (14) will exert a dragging action on the roller. A repetition of com-pression strokes of the plate 8 will result in a complete evacuation of liquid from the roller.

Obviously, the compression plate 8 may be employed during use of the implement to brake rotation of the roller and produce a dragging action of one section of the portion 1a on the surface.

While the best known form of the present invention has been described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, other forms may be realized, as come Within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A surface treating implement comprising a substantially U-shaped frame having a web section and a pair of parallel, spaced apart arms, a cylindrical roller having a substantial outer peripheral portion formed of a compressible impregnatable foam material, rotatably mounted between and supported by the arms for free rotatable movement, tubular handle means fixed to and extending from the web section in the opposite direction from the arms, a concave-convex plate member having a central main body of a radius equal to the radius of the roller positioned between the web section and the roller, said plate member having a concave face facing the roller and movable from the web section into and out of engagement with the peripheral portion of the roller, cooperative means between the plate member and the arms mounting the plate member on and between the arms for movement between the roller and the web section, a rod-like member mounted within the tubular handle means for axial reciprocable movement, said rod like member being connected to the late member to move the plate member into engagement with the peripheral portion of the roller, means normally retaining the plate member out of engagement with the peripheral portion of the roller, said plate member having outwardly divergent terminal side portions, said side portions defining extensions of the plate member and having faces constituting continuations of the concave face and teethlike projections projecting from the face of at least one of the side portions for penetrating the peripheral portion of the roller to arrest the rotary movement of the roller when the plate is moved into engagement with the roller whereby selected portions of the periphery of the roller may be rubbed over a surface and whereby the roller may be squeezed dry in successive steps.

2. The invention of claim 1, 'wherein said means normally retaining the plate member out of engagement with the peripheral portion of the roller includes a projection on the web section, a cooperative projection on the portion of the rod-like member disposed between the roller and the web section and retraction means connected between said projections.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS F 2 41s,soz 4/1947 Bendar 15 119.1 2,873,462 2/1959 Green 15-23011 FOREIGN PATENTS 592,455 4/1959 Italy.

DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SURFACE TREATING IMPLEMENT COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED FRAME HAVING A WEB SECTIN AND A PAIR OF PARALLEL, SPACED APART ARMS, A CYLINDRICAL ROLLER HAVING A SUBSTANTIAL OUTER PERIPHERAL PORTION FORMED OF A COMPRESSIBLE IMPREGNATABLE FOAM MATERIAL, ROTATABLY MOUNTED BETWEEN AND SUPPORTED BY THE ARMS FOR FREE ROTATABLE MOVEMENT, TUBULAR HANDLE MEANS FIXED TO AND EXTENDING FROM THE WEB SECTION IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM THE ARMS, A CONCAVE-CONVEX PLATE MEMBER HAVING A CENTRAL MAIN BODY OF A RADIUS EQUAL TO THE RADIUS OF THE ROLLER POSITIONED BETWEEN THE WEB SECTION AND THE ROLLER, SAID PLATE MEMBER HAVING A CONCAVE FACE FACING THE ROLLER AND MOVABLE FROM THE WEB SECTION INTO AND OUT OF ENGAGMENT WITH THE PERIPHERAL PORTION OF THE ROLLER, COOPERATIVE MEANS BETWEEN THE PLATE MEMBER AND THE ARMS MOUNTING THE PLATE MEMBER ON AND BETWEEN THE ARMS FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE ROLLER AND THE WEB SECTION, A ROD-LIKE MEMBER MOUNTED WITHIN THE TUBULAR HANDLE MEANS FOR AXIAL RECIPROCABLEMOVEMENT, SAID ROD LIKE MEMBER BEING CONNECTED TO THE PLATE MEMBER TO MOVE THE PLATE MEMBER INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PERIPHERAL PORTION OF THE ROLLER, MEANS NORMALLY RETAINING THE PLATE MEMBER OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PERIPHERAL PORTION OF THE ROLLER, SAID PLATE MEMBER HAVING OUTWARDLY DIVERGENT TERMINAL SIDE PORTIONS, SAID SIDE PORTIONS DEFINING EXTENSIONS OF THE PLATE MEMBER AND HAVING FACES CONSTITUTING CONTINUATIONS OF THE CONCAVE FACE AND TEETHLIKE PROJECTIONS PROJECTING FROM THE FACE OF AT LEAST ONE OF THE SIDE PORTIONS OF PENETRATING THE PERIPHERAL PORTTION OF THE ROLLER TO ARREST THE ROTARY MOVEMENT OF THE ROLLER WHEN THE PLATE IS MOVED INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE ROLLER WHEREBY SELECTED PORTIONS OF THE PERIPHERY OF THE ROLLER MAY BE RUBBED OVER A SURFACE AND WHEREBY THE ROLLER MAY BE SQUEEZED DRY IN SUCCESSIVE STEPS. 